What Will the Big 12 Do on Expansion Issue?

What Will the Big 12 Do on Expansion Issue?

Article excerpt

The Big 12 board of directors meets Monday in Dallas and the
topic of expansion will be addressed. Not necessarily decided, but
definitely addressed.

Maybe after three months of vetting, analyzing and interviewing
potential new members the presidents and chancellors will decide the
Big 12 Conference should add schools. Maybe they will even decide
which schools to add.

Or maybe they will decide 10 members are enough for the smallest
Power Five conference and stick with what they have.

Or maybe they will decide not to decide and keep college
football's never-ending story going.

It is impossible to know which way this will go, but news reports
from Big 12 country over the last month suggest the conference has
cooled on the idea of expansion.

The only public statements that provide a hint at which way the
Big 12 is leaning have come from Oklahoma President David Boren, who
once called the conference "psychologically disadvantaged by having
only 10 members.

First, Boren said expansion should not be considered a given.
Then, responding to reports citing unidentified sources that he had
changed his position, Boren released a noncommittal statement in
late September.

"I do not know where the speculation came from, but Oklahoma has
not yet taken a position on expansion, he said.

Consultants have provided data to conference leaders showing
expansion could increase the Big 12's chances of reaching the
playoff and the bottom lines of its members.

The Big 12's television contracts with ESPN and Fox call for the
networks to provide increases to cover the addition of new members.
So two new schools would mean an extra $50 million or so each year
through 2025.

The new members would, as is standard, receive a partial share of
conference revenue for the first three or four seasons in the
league. The old members would split the rest.

More money and a better chance to make it to the playoff. So why
wouldn't the Big 12 expand?